Picnics
by 2queens1prince
Summary: Snippets highlighting the various picnics of our favorite couple. Rated T for future snippets and know that there will be a couple M rated ones later on.
1. Library Lunch

AN: Lainey13 and I were talking and somehow the conversation turned into a prompt about the various picnics of Henry and Elizabeth. So, here you go-picnic snippets.

I love reviews! And I'm also taking picnic ideas, so throw those out as well.

Library Lunch

" _Today is the day,"_ Henry McCord said to himself, gathering his books. Lately Henry had been very into self talk, especially when it came to girls. No, that wasn't true. It wasn't all girls. In fact, He hadn't really ever had problems talking to the opposite sex before. It was just this one girl in particular. He had been watching Elizabeth Adams since the first day of spring semester. She sat three rows in front of him in the History of Medieval Europe class. He was a junior and he was pretty sure she was a freshman. On the first day, he'd wondered how she ended up in an upper level history class, but then she opened her mouth to speak and he knew the answer. She was wicked smart, probably more so than the professor, if he was really pressed to answer that question.

Henry slipped his books into his backpack and stood. They were on the third week of the semester and he'd been trying to get up the nerve to approach her, hence the self talk. " _Just go up and introduce yourself. Invite her to study or get a coffee with you. Something!"_ He maneuvered himself up the aisle between the desks and ended up nearby when she stood. She turned to gather her coat and she caught him looking at her. She have him a bright smile which nearly obliterated all of his nerve. " _She smiled. Say hi."_ Elizabeth missed the sleeve of her coat as she tried to put it on over her bulky sweatshirt.

"Here, let me help," Henry said, catching the coat sleeve and holding it out so she could slip her arm through.

"Thanks," she paused, not knowing his name. She extended her hand. "Hi. I'm Elizabeth Adams."

He quickly shifted the brown paper bag that was his lunch and took her hand. "Henry. Henry McCord. It's a pleasure to meet you." He gestured for her to go ahead and walk out in front of him. "I really liked your answer today about the oppression of serfs in medieval times and how it mirrors the treatment of minorities today. Astute observation."

She grinned. "I didn't know people actually listened to me when I talked in class. I thought they just found me annoying."

"I always listen when you speak." Henry left the comment there and she chuckled, causing him to blush.

"I just meant that you always say interesting things. I want to hear what you have to say.". He pushed the outside door open and the brisk January air hit them hard. It took him a couple seconds to catch his breath. "Anyway, if you'd be interested, I'd like to have lunch with you someday."

Elizabeth tilted her head and smiled. "What's for lunch today?" Her eyes landed on his paper bag.

He laughed. "It's pretty exciting. Peanut butter and jelly, pretzels and a banana."

"My favorites. Where will we be dining?"

"You're serious? Like right now?" he said, shocked. Henry wasn't mentally prepared to have lunch with Elizabeth today. He felt like he needed to do something in order to have a halfway intelligent conversation with her, although he had no idea what he'd actually do.

"Oh, did you not mean now?" The crease that set itself across her forehead was the cutest thing he'd ever seen.

"Well, I half expected a brush off, so I wasn't prepared, but actually I'd love to have lunch with you today. Why don't we stop and get a couple of coffees to keep us warm? Then we'll picnic."

Elizabeth gave Henry another smile. "I'd like that." Elizabeth Adams was used to being the smartest student in the class. It had been happening since she was old enough to go to preschool. She enjoyed being smart. It made her parents proud and in the years since their untimely deaths, she strived to do things that she knew would make them proud. The downside of being seen as uber intelligent was that the opposite sex didn't find her very appealing. Often, she was seen as a threat, someone who would make them feel inferior. Most of the time she shrugged it off, but lately she was very much feeling her outsider status as all of the girls in her suite had social plans each weekend and she sat at home studying, not because she wanted to, but because she had no plans of her own.

That's why when Mr. Henry McCord asked about lunch, she jumped on the opportunity to go. She didn't want to make plans for sometime and give him the chance to change his mind. Now she was walking by his side stealing sideways glances. He was handsome. His sandy brown hair formed little curls around the edge of his stocking cap. He had deep brown eyes. They were kind, old soul eyes. She could tell he was thoughtful and a listener.

They approached the door to the student union and Henry reached out to get the door for her. Elizabeth took note. He'd helped her with her coat and let her walk out in front of him. Then he'd held the door for her. It wasn't a big show like with some guys. He just did it. Now he followed her to the coffee cart to get cups to go. She ordered hers, one cream, two sugars and he just got black. Henry made a mental note of her order in case he ever had the opportunity to get her coffee again. He paid and they walked back out.

"So where do you normally eat?" she asked.

Henry's eyes grew wide. "Truthfully I usually scarf my food from class to the library." He grinned at her. "I have an idea though. Are you a rule breaker?"

"Uh, no, not really." The thought crossed her mind that Henry didn't really look the bad boy part.

Henry chuckled. "I'm not really either, but the no food in the library rule is ridiculous."

Elizabeth laughed, obviously relieved, "Yes, dumb rule. Especially if you have to study long hours. By the time you pack up and go get something and then come back, you've wasted an hour."

"Exactly!" Henry said, enthusiastically, so much so that it caused Elizabeth to jump and she laughed.

He led them to the library and down to the basement. There was a seating area outside of the tutoring center. Henry swiped the throw of the back of the couch and ushered them around the corner. He spread the throw on the floor in front of a study desk. "I'll take your coat m'lady," Henry said bowing.

Elizabeth giggled and turned so Henry could slide her coat off her arms. He tossed both of their coats on the desk, placed their bags nearby and sat down. She joined him. Henry pulled out a sandwich and handed it to Elizabeth, then took one for himself. He placed the sandwich bag of pretzels and the banana on the paper bag between them. Elizabeth took a bite of her sandwich and chewed slowly. She could feel him watching her and it made her blush.

Henry had been looking at her eyes, trying to decide if they were more ocean blue or aquamarine. Her blonde waves tumbled down on her shoulders and she smiled shyly at him. He was wondering if the silence was uncomfortable or not when Elizabeth started to speak. She opened with a discourse on their medieval Europe class and then moved on to other topics. Henry kept pace with her, offering several of his own points regarding the various topics of discussion. Elizabeth ate her sandwich and then the pretzels and the half of the banana before she offered him the uneaten half. He waved her off letting her finish it.

After about an hour and a half, Henry looked up noticing the clock on the wall. Do you have class this afternoon?"

"Yeah, at 2, why?" Elizabeth asked.

"Because it's 1:40 and I don't want you to be late." Henry grinned at her.

"Wow? I had no idea we'd been here so long. I didn't mean to keep you." Elizabeth was obviously flustered and Henry found it very endearing."

"You didn't keep me. I had a great time." Henry stood and helped Elizabeth to her feet. He reached around and grabbed her coat and stepped behind her to help her put it on. Then he turned her around to face him, and handed her her backpack. "Thanks for having lunch with me." He smiled. "Maybe we could do it again sometime."

"How about we do something this weekend?" Elizabeth asked and the hopeful look she gave him turned his insides to jelly.

"Definitely. We can make plans Thursday after class," he said.

"I'll be looking forward to it." She reached up and landed her hand on his jaw, running her thumb over his cheekbone. "Bye Henry." Elizabeth tossed her backpack over her shoulder and zipped down the aisle and up the stairs quickly. She grinned to herself. She liked Henry McCord. She like him a lot.

Henry picked up the couple pieces of trash and dropped them in the nearby trash can. Then he folded up the throw and put it back on the couch. He couldn't wait until Thursday. He liked Elizabeth Adams. He liked her a lot.


	2. On The Farm

AN: The next couple are shorter in length and I thought about combining them, but then decided that it would be more fun to post something every day. I always get excited when I see something new posted. Thank you for the reviews and the ideas. I've already written one (mobazan27-your's is finished!). Keep 'em coming!

On the Farm

Henry lay back on the wool blanket, lacing his fingers behind his head, staring up into the leaves of the giant sycamore tree behind him. Elizabeth had brought him to her family's farm several miles outside of town. After the grand tour and meeting the horses, she had surprised him by announcing that they were going for a horseback ride and a picnic. He watched her as she strapped the pack that held the picnic remnants to Buttercups's saddle, smiled, and then returned his gaze to the tree above him.

Elizabeth had been nervous to bring Henry out to the farm. She hadn't invited anyone out to see where she grew up. It seemed like a very personal thing to share. Since the passing of her parents, Elizabeth hadn't felt the need to share much with anyone. She turned to ask him if he was ready to finish their ride, but when she saw him laid out across the picnic blanket, her stomach flipped and she couldn't speak.

This feeling had been happening more frequently and it completely unnerved Elizabeth. She and Henry had been spending quite a bit of time together, mostly eating together and talking. Elizabeth loved spending time with him. They'd been seeing each other for nearly three months and she thought they might be starting to get serious. The closer she and Henry became, the more nervous Elizabeth got. The relationships she'd had in the years since her parents' death were superficial at best. Investing herself and becoming emotionally attached to someone, someone who might leave her or die made Elizabeth queasy. But looking at Henry caused an unsettled feeling that was entirely different.

She shook off these thoughts, put a bounce back in her step and moved back over to the blanket. "What are you thinking about?" she asked, kneeling down next to him.

Henry blinked, and raised himself up on his elbows. "Honestly? I was thinking about you and how wonderful you are."

Elizabeth blushed. "I'm just an average girl. There's nothing all that special about me." She shifted her eyes away from him.

Henry pushed himself to sitting. "I could not disagree with that statement more." His face was now level with hers. "Everything about you is special."

Elizabeth's breathing grew shallow and there was a tightness in her chest that she hadn't experienced before. She swallowed and stared at Henry.

"I want to kiss you," Henry murmured.

"You've already kissed me."

"I didn't mean that kind of kiss." His hand slipped over hers. "I meant a real kiss."

"I didn't know what we'd been doing wasn't real," Elizabeth giggled nervously. She leaned into him just enough to let him know she was willing. His fingers left her hand and danced up her arm, landing on her shoulder briefly before sliding up her neck and tangling in her hair.

He pulled her closer. "Are you okay?"

Their foreheads touched. "I'm not sure."

"Should I stop?" he asked softly.

"No," she whispered. "Kiss me."

He closed his fingers in her hair and tipped her head back. Henry pressed his lips to hers before parting his and taking her top lip in. He sucked it gently. She hummed her approval and closed her lips around his lower lip. The sound sent a wave of warmth rushing through Henry's core and he ran his tongue underneath her lip.

Elizabeth parted her lips allowing his tongue to slide in and touch hers. After a few seconds, she pulled away. His eyes were dark and his skin flushed. She'd never given much thought to her sexuality, but she now realized that she possessed that kind of power too and it made her bold. Elizabeth shifted herself to lay down next to Henry. "Kiss me again," she said and Henry willingly obliged.


	3. 4th of July

AN: Happy Friday! I hope you enjoy this. Sorry it's short-some of these don't lend themselves to a lengthy piece. Thank you for the ideas. Keep 'em coming!

Uncle Henry is still in progress. Hoping to have a chapter to post tomorrow evening.

4th of July

They all sat on a giant blanket sipping iced tea as the sun dipped low on the horizon. "Elizabeth dear, would you like some watermelon?"

"No thank you Mrs. McCord. I'm just fine."

"Please, call me Margie," the older woman said.

Elizabeth smiled. Looking out over the Ohio River, the fireworks would be beautiful reflected off the water. She felt Henry's hand slide under hers on the blanket. Looking down at where their hands joined, she thought of how far they had come in just six months. They were a "real" thing now. She was spending the holiday weekend with his family and Henry had met her brother, Will, over Memorial Day.

Six months ago, if she'd been told that a picnic in the library would lead to a serious relationship, with the potential for love, she'd have thought it was crazy. Now, the thought equally thrilled and terrified her. She felt his lips on her bare shoulder and she softly elbowed him in the ribs. He couldn't be doing that. It wasn't proper. Later though, under cover of darkness, now that was a different story.

Margie opened the cooler and passed out sandwiches to her family. They ate and chatted away. Henry watched Elizabeth interact with them. His youngest sister and brother were both easy to get along with, a trait they'd picked up from Margie. His older sister, Maureen, and his father on the other hand, were standoffish and judgemental. As difficult as Henry thought they were, Elizabeth seemed impervious to their slights, smiling and continuing to be friendly. He saw how she fit in, how his mother welcomed her, even more so than his previous girlfriends. He hoped this was a sign of good things to come.

An hour later they were walking along the waterfront holding hands. They walked without talking, the silence comfortable. They passed in front of several food vendors, and with no warning, Henry tugged her between two tents. "Henry, what are you-" She never finished that sentence because she was pressed against him and his mouth was on hers, his hand cupping her ass. She pulled away, but once she realized that they were indeed alone, she gave herself back to him, asking him to continue. Henry stopped before it got too heated, before they couldn't stop themselves. He'd said he wanted to wait-wait until they were sure of each other. She knew he was sure. Henry had told her that much. He was waiting on her. Was she sure? Was he the one? She couldn't commit to that. Not yet anyway.

As darkness fell, a cooler breeze blew in off of the river. She scooted closer to him on the blanket and he draped his arm over her. A deafening crack penetrated the air followed by colorful streaks shooting through the sky. Elizabeth was mesmerized by the fireworks and Henry was mesmerized by Elizabeth. He watched the joy flood her face and it made him inexplicably happy. He wanted to always bring her this much happiness.


	4. Anniversary

AN: Thank you so much for the reviews! I love all the ideas I'm getting. I have about three more I'd like to write (now, where to find the time, LOL). Uncle Henry is coming along, but it isn't quite finished. My 10 year old decided to make a romantic dinner for my husband and I and wouldn't let us have our phones for a few hours last night. We were supposed to talk! Crazy, huh? Everyone can hope that the library isn't busy today, so I can finish. Ha!

Anniversary

She sat next to him on the park bench outside of the science building. It was late in the fall, and the crisp wind swirled the leaves around their feet. Henry watched Elizabeth hold her sandwich, but not take a bite. She only stared into her lap. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" he finally asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing," she mumbled.

"Well, nothing is making you not eat, so it's definitely something." Henry pulled her against him, wrapping her up in his arms. "But if you don't want to tell me, that's fine. I just want you to know I'm here." He pressed a kiss to her temple.

Elizabeth snuggled up into his side hoping he could warm her. She felt so cold, so empty. She'd been alone in this pain for so long, hiding it deep within her. " _What would happen if I let him in? All the way in?"_ She took a deep breath and spoke softly, "Tomorrow is 6 years."

Henry immediately shifted so he could see her face. "Your parents?" She barely moved her head and he pulled her close. "I'm so sorry. What can I do?"

"There isn't anything to do. It just happens. I remember it all. All of the pain. The loneliness. I just sit with it until it passes." Elizabeth slipped her hand into his and squeezed it.

"Then I'll just be there to sit with you," he said, squeezing her hand back.

The next night, Henry snuck into the dorms with a bottle of wine and the rest of his wares. He knocked and waited. It took her a minute, but Elizabeth finally answered. She gave him a small smile. He could tell she'd been crying, but tried to conceal it from him. He kissed her cheek. Elizabeth let him in. "I brought us something that may help," he said, pushing her chair under her desk.

He spread the blanket out on the floor. "Sit with me." She sat and Henry scooted in close. He pulled the wine out, along with the glasses, cheese, crackers and grapes.

"You went to a lot of trouble. I'm afraid I'm not much for company tonight,' Elizabeth lamented.

"You're always the best company," he whispered in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. He poured the wine and handed her a glass. "Tell me a story about your parents." It took a bit of coaxing and the entire glass of wine, but she opened up and talked about her parents for hours. She laughed and she cried and she started to heal.

The bottle was empty, the food was gone and Elizabeth was nearly asleep. Elizabeth looked up drowsily and found Henry staring down at her, the love in his eyes penetrated her soul, and she knew that she didn't want to spend another day without him. "I love you," she whispered. He smiled at her and helped her to her feet, then into bed, tucking the covers in tight around her.

He kissed her lips chastely and said, "I love you too." Then he sat by her side running his fingers through her hair and drawing circles on her back until she drifted off to sleep.


	5. Anniversary 20

AN: I come offering picnic smut. It's pretty obvious when this takes the turn and it goes to the end. Enjoy (or don't, whatever you prefer).

Anniversary 2.0

Elizabeth wondered if he remembered. She wouldn't forget. She couldn't forget the day that she'd taken a chance. Elizabeth's original desire to have some sort of social life on the weekends had somehow turned into a deep love. "Hey, why don't you come by my room after class?" she'd offered when she'd called him that morning.

"Absolutely. Should I bring dinner?" he asked.

"Nope. I got it covered."

Late that afternoon she had everything ready. She smiled as she looked at the brown paper bag that sat on her desk. It contained two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, a bag of pretzels and a banana. The throw from the seating area outside the tutoring center was tossed over the back of the chair. She'd return it tomorrow, but she still felt a little guilty that she borrowed it without asking.

Elizabeth was nervous about the evening and had paced her room, the hallway, and the lounge. She was taking another lap when she met Henry at the top of the stairs. "Hi," she said, and leaned in to kiss him.

They walked down the hall to her room. Henry took his coat off and sat down crosswise on her bed, leaning against the wall. She crawled up and sat with her feet crossed next to him. "Do you know what today is?"

He smiled and studied her. "It's January 23rd," he said.

"And do you know what happened on January 23rd last year?" she asked.

Henry stopped to think about it. Classes had been going for a few _weeks. "What classes did I have last year at this time?"_ A smile spread across his face. "I think I had a certain lunch date on the fly that worked out pretty well."

She broke into a wide smile. "I didn't know if you'd remember. I wasn't sure if the date was as important to you as it was to me."

"It ended up being the best day of my life," he said. He leaned in and kissed her. "What's the plan for tonight?"

"We're recreating our date!" Elizabeth grinned widely. It was usually Henry who was the sentimental one. Tonight, she was having fun embracing that role.

Henry scooted off the bed and picked up the throw off of the chair and spread it on the floor. "Is this?" he asked and she sheepishly nodded. "You stole the blanket from the library?" He tilted his head to the side in both disbelief and amusement.

"Authenticity is important. And I'm taking it back first thing in the morning," she said.

"I love you," he said, laughing. They sat down and she pulled the food from the bag. They ate together, talking freely this time, reminiscing the past year.

When there was a break in their discussion, they looked out and realized it was now dark. The clock showed the passage of nearly four hours. "Wow, babe. I should probably head back to my apartment."

Elizabeth bit her lip. "Uh, if you have no other plans, I'd like you to stay. With me."

Henry's eyes doubled in size. "Oh, um..."

Elizabeth tried to keep her expression even, but Henry could sense the disappointment. "If you don't want to, that's ok."

"No, no, no. It's not that. Please don't think that." He leaned in, "I just wasn't thinking about that being a possibility. I don't have," Henry paused, slightly embarrassed. "Uh, I don't have protection."

Elizabeth was staring at her lap, slightly annoyed at herself that she was embarrassed to be talking about this. Theoretically, this was a practical discussion that they should have before having sex, and in her head, she knew that. In reality, she was painfully nervous about the whole topic. She shoved her insecurities to the side. "I've been on the pill for several months, so unless there is something else I need protection from?"

Henry's head snapped up, interrupting her. "No! Certainly not! His reaction caused her to laugh. He leaned in, putting his hand on her shoulder. "You're beautiful, you know that?"

She said nothing, but stood and offered her hand to Henry. He took it and allowed her to help pull him up. Elizabeth felt the nervous energy coursing through her. She shifted restlessly. He rested his hands on her waist and looked into her eyes. She saw his love for her there. "I love you, Henry." Her hands slid up his chest and settled on his cheeks, pulling him down. Her lips landed on his and she kissed him. She slid her tongue into his mouth and it tangled with his. Her kiss was slow, almost reverent, and he was breathless when she broke the kiss. "Make love to me Henry," Elizabeth murmured against his lips.

Henry swallowed thickly and let his thumbs skim underneath her shirt and beneath the waistband of her jeans, her abdominal muscles twitching under his touch. Elizabeth let her hands drop to Henry's chest and began unbuttoning his shirt. When she got to the last one, he shrugged out of it, letting it fall to the floor. He pulled her tee over her head and began peppering her neck and collarbone with kisses while his hand cupped her bra covered breast. She hummed her approval and Henry smiled against her shoulder. "I want to make you feel good. Tell me what you like." Immediately, she tensed against him, caused Henry to furrow brow. "What babe?"

She dropped her head, suddenly feeling very vulnerable. She closed her eyes. It was yet another consequence of her parents death. Not that she would've been chatting with her mom about _that_ , but she would've had normal high school experiences and probably dated and experimented and she would know what she liked. Instead, she spent those years being closed off, afraid of getting too close to anyone. Elizabeth looked up at Henry and answered him honestly. "I don't know. I don't have a lot of experience at this."

He kissed her softly and smiled. "Then I guess we'll find out together. But, please, be truthful with me. I promise you won't hurt my feelings if you tell me to change something or not do something. The whole point is for us to connect and pleasure each other. Both of us."

She nodded. "I like it when you kiss your way down my chest," she said quietly.

"Then we'll start there," he said, brushing her lips before sucking the flesh behind her ear. She exhaled a ragged breath, and tangled her fingers in his hair, tugging his head lower. He worked over her neck and along her collarbones. "Come." Henry led Elizabeth the few steps to her bed. He pulled the quilt back. She sat down and scooted to the middle of the bed. Henry slid to sit behind her and whisked her hair to one side and planted a row of kisses from her hairline to her shoulder, unhooking her bra in the process. He pulled the straps down her arms and tossed the garment off onto the floor.

Starting with her shoulders, he massaged his way past her shoulder blades before working around to her breasts. He pulled her back to lay on his chest, first kneading both breasts before teasing her nipples into hard peaks between his thumb and forefinger. She moaned, arching her back and pushing into his hands. "You like that?" he whispered, nibbling the shell of her ear.

He let go and slid his hands down her abdomen, closer to where the ache was building. "Henry," she murmured. He let her go and moved to lay next to her, but picked up right where he left off, sliding his hand over her jeans and pressing between her legs. "Oooh, mmm," she hummed, rocking her hips into his hand. He pulled away and she groaned at the loss but he unbuttoned her jeans and she pushed at them, wiggling them down. Henry pulled them off along with her panties, before standing and letting his own jeans fall to the floor. He looked down at Elizabeth, laying naked and wanting before him. Her breathing was shallow and her eyes wide with anticipation and dark with lust. Henry was half gone already.

He lay back down next to her and kissed her passionately. His erection was pressed to her thigh and she could feel the dampness accumulating between her legs. Elizabeth shifted to turn into him. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist and pulled her hand to his penis. "Touch me."

Elizabeth timidly wrapped her fingers around him and he bucked into her. "God, you feel good." She pumped him and he cried out, pushing into her leg. Her arousal climbed realizing the effect she had on him. Henry's hand reached between her legs and his fingers slipped through her folds, spreading her wetness around. Elizabeth moaned and squeezed her thighs together. "Is that not ok?"

Her voice was ragged, "It's good, so good." He inserted a finger and she squealed. Henry continued his ministrations, adding a second finger, stretching her to prepare for what was to come. She teetered on the brink of pain, but the pressure was building which made the uncomfortable feeling almost desirable.

"Can I be in you?" Henry asked. Elizabeth nodded and tipped his head to kiss him again.

"Please." Elizabeth pushed at his hips to square up with hers. His hardness was pressed between her legs. Henry took his weight on one arm and took hold of himself and slid his cock through her folds. He pushed his tip just inside and she screamed, clamping down on him.

"Oh my God, babe. Relax." After a minute, she relaxed enough that Henry could move. "Can I?" he started and Elizabeth immediately nodded. Slowly, he pushed the rest of his length into her. She was so tight that he wasn't sure he needed to move at all in order to come. Her muscles were clenched around him. Henry slipped his hands underneath Elizabeth, cradling her close while he pressed open mouthed kisses on her neck.

When she relaxed, he started a slow rhythm, trying to hold himself off, allowing her time to build back up. She wrapped her legs around his waist. "Oh Henry," she moaned, her voice strained as she neared the edge. Henry quickly pulled his hand out from under her and found her clit, stroking it as he struggled not to come without her. Suddenly she arched her back and her hips slammed into his and her muscles clamped down, forcefully stopping all movement. He exploded into her coming harder than he thought possible. He collapsed on Elizabeth, unable to move.

Both were sweaty and exhausted. Henry finally pulled out and rolled off of Elizabeth. He took a moment and then rolled back into her side, kissing her cheek. "Thoughts?" he asked.

"I'm going to be honest. It hurt at the beginning. I wasn't quite prepared for that, but the end was excellent." She paused for a second and then asked, "It won't always hurt like that, will it?"

Henry shook his head. "I am pretty sure that it's only the first time or two." He ran his fingertips along her hairline. "I love you."

She rolled into him, resting her hand on his hip. "Another observation. Sex is messy. For the average amount of ejaculate to be less than a teaspoon, it feels like a lot more. It's a little swampy down there."

Henry laughed. "You're a nut, babe. I don't even know why you know that, but I love it. Need a tissue?" He reached over her head and snatched a couple tissues out of the box next to the bed, and handed them to her. She cleaned herself up and gave them a toss toward the trash can across the room.

"I think we should end all of our picnics this way," she said mid yawn, snuggling into Henry.

"Maybe just the ones that aren't in public," he replied before drifting off to sleep.


	6. Visiting Mom and Dad

AN: Sorry, I was busy this morning and wasn't able to post the new snippet right away. I know there are quite a few of you waiting on Uncle Henry and even Evolution. I'm thinking about them. I just haven't formulated enough thoughts to write yet. I haven't forgotten them though. On the other hand, I woke up with an entire smut fic crafted, so you may see that in the next few days. There are also a couple of prompts I'm working on and two more picnics to finish.

This particular snippet idea came from mobazan27.

Visiting Mom and Dad

Henry rolled over and reached out to pull Elizabeth closer, but his arm fell on the cold sheets, the spot where she had been. He lazily opened his eyes wondering why she was up so early. He heard the thump of the front door closing and he rose to look out the window.

They'd made it a habit to come out to the farm every couple of months or so. It was February and Henry wondered what Elizabeth would be doing hiking up the hill in the opposite direction from the horse barn. He slipped his jeans on and headed downstairs, tugging his sweatshirt on as he went. Henry shoved his feet into his tennis shoes and tossed his coat over his shoulder and headed out the door to follow her.

The bitter cold wind hit Henry in the face and sucked the air from his lungs. His eyes stung and he quickly pulled his coat on, zipping it as he walked. Henry tried to figure out what Elizabeth would be doing this early in the morning as cold as it was. She had quite the head start on him and he hoped he could find her.

He topped the hill and his eyes scanned the ridge. He spotted her a couple hundred yards away sitting under a grove of trees. Henry was perplexed and walked in her direction. It was only when he got closer that he understood.

Elizabeth was sitting on a blanket in front of her parents' graves. He stopped, unsure if he had the right to be there. It seemed as though he was disturbing a special moment. He shifted his weight and the leaves crunched under his feet. She turned around. "Babe?" he asked. "Is it alright? I didn't know what you were doing. I-"

"It's fine," she said, cutting him off. She turned back and faced the gravestone. "I know I can talk to them from anywhere, but sometimes I feel like I just need to be here." Elizabeth seemed lost in thought for a moment and then she remembered Henry. "You can join me if you wish." Henry positioned himself so that he sat behind her, shielding her from the wind. "Muffin?" she offered. Henry was tempted to say no, but his stomach rumbled at the sight of it, so he went ahead and took it.

They sat together in silence for a long while, eating and thinking. Henry made a move to wrap his arms around Elizabeth in an attempt to keep her warm, but she suddenly twisted around and ended up curled against him, her face pressed into the crook of his neck. He felt her tears wet the collar of his coat and he held her close and kissed the top of her head.

"I miss them so much," she murmured. Henry hummed his acknowledgement, knowing there was nothing he could say to make it better. "I told them about you." She pulled back enough to see his face. "I told them how kind and caring you are. How you waited patiently until I let you into my heart." She swallowed the lump in her throat and pushed the words out. "How much I love you, and how I want to be with you forever."

Henry kissed the tip of her nose before tucking her back in close to him. "I hope they see how much I love you and how I want to take care of you forever."

"Me too," she whispered. Elizabeth turned back and let Henry wrap his arms around her. Suddenly, she squirmed under him and he released his hold on her arms. "Banana?" she asked, producing the fruit from her coat pocket.

Henry chuckled. "I'm fine. Go ahead." She removed a glove to peel it and then sat quietly and ate while staring across the valley.

Finally, she turned to Henry. "Thank you for coming to find me. I'm glad you were here."

"Are you ready to go?" he asked. She nodded, and pushed herself up, as did Henry. He picked up the blanket and shook the dead grass from it before spreading it across Elizabeth's shoulders.

They started walking back toward the house. "I'm freezing," she said, "and I need a nap."

"Let's go back to bed, babe. I'll warm you up and then you can sleep," he smirked.

Elizabeth grinned at him. "I'd like that."


	7. In a Fog

In a Fog

Henry jolted to a stop and sat at the intersection, the an running just below the surface. He found himself irritated at most everything as of late and that annoyed him even more. It was his third week back from Iraq, where he'd spent the last fourteen months. The light changed and he slammed his hand against the wheel, unable to advance due to the car that had inconveniently stopped in the middle of the intersection. He cursed under his breath. This shouldn't be something that bothered him, at least not at the level it was. He sat through that light cycle and was able to go on the next one.

Frustrated that he was running late, he whipped into three different drive thrus before he found one where there wasn't a long line. He ordered lunch for himself and Elizabeth and made his way to her office. As he pulled up, he gritted his teeth. She was already waiting outside. That meant her lunch hour had started. Elizabeth had been working late most nights and Henry felt like he had barely got to see her. Now because of some dumbass driver, he'd have even less time with her.

Elizabeth smiled as he pulled up. She opened the door as he came to a stop. "Traffic bad?" she asked, unassumingly.

Henry's frustration bubbled over as he launched into a tirade about people who cannot drive, slow drivers, the person who wasn't paying attention and blocked the intersection, the number of cars in the drive thru, how long he had to wait and more. He drove to the park nearby and held her captive in the car while he finished his rant. She said nothing, only biting her lip and keeping her eyes downcast until the proverbial storm blew over. Just as he finished and picked up the bags with the plan to get out, the sky opened up and unleashed a downpour-the proverbial storm, now a real one. "Fuck!" he yelled, slamming the side of his fist into the door panel. Elizabeth jumped, and Henry caught her reaction out of the corner of his eye.

Henry pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a long breath. He turned to look out the window, not wanting to make eye contact. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"Henry," she said softly, reaching over to slip her hand under his, linking their fingers together.

"I know," he whispered. "I can't get rid of the anger. I can push it away for a while, but it always come back."

"You need to talk to me," she implored, not for the first time since he returned home.

"I can't talk to you," he said, his voice raised, pulling away from her.

"Then find someone else to talk to." She matched his volume and stared him down. Her eyes flashed angrily at him. Then she quieted, "I don't want you to go too far down this rabbit hole. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to get out."

Henry turned away from her and stared out the window, silently cursing himself for ruining their lunch. What had started out as a picnic in the park had turned into a yelling match and now they were stuck in the same stuffy space. The inside of the window started to fog up and Henry could no longer see the outside world. Now he was just staring at the fog. He grimaced. That had to be some sort of physical representation of his life.

Henry heard the rustling of paper behind him and felt the paper wrapped sandwich land on his leg. "You can still eat, even if you're mad at me," she mumbled, turning away from him.

Her words knocked the air out of him. The gravity of the situation weighed on him heavily. It took him a moment before he could get the words out. "I. Elizabeth, I-I'm not angry at you or because of you. You are the only thing holding me together."

She glanced over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow before turning back to the window. "I'm doing a poor job of it." Her words were soft and laced with hurt, hurt that he had caused. When she swallowed the last bite of her sandwich, she wadded up the paper and shoved it in the bag. She said, "You can go ahead and take me back to work."

Henry opened his mouth to speak, but realized he had no words to say, nothing that would solve the problem. He dropped his head for a moment and then started the car and turned it back toward Elizabeth's office. He pulled up to the curb and she reached for the door handle. "Babe, wait," he started. She stopped, her hand resting on the handle.

Henry shifted uncomfortably, not knowing what to say. Elizabeth turned and met his gaze. "I love you Henry, and I hate what this is doing to you. When you decide what I can do to help, let me know." She leaned in to kiss him and just as she got close, Henry shifted, so she only caught the corner of his mouth. He didn't feel worthy of her affection, but when he pulled back, he saw the devastation in her eyes. "I'll be late. You don't need to wait up." With that she was gone and walking up the steps into the building.


	8. Cake and Sparkling Cider

AN: I come offering pure fluff The previous picnic snippet was pretty angsty. Here's to hoping this one makes you smile! I love reviews. They make me very happy and I thank all of those readers who consistently review. I'm not always good at it, so I know that it's sometimes an inconvenience. I appreciate the effort you take.

Cake and Sparkling Cider

June had been unusually cool, but today finally felt like summer had come. Elizabeth spread a blanket out in the park waiting for Henry. He was returning after a week long conference. She was giddy with anticipation. Two days ago, Elizabeth was washing her face before bed when it suddenly dawned on her that she should've started her period the week before. She finished drying her face and hurried into the bedroom, flinging herself across the bed. She wildly grabbed the handle of the nightstand drawer and pulled out the calendar where she kept track of her monthly cycle.

She flipped back to the last red dot in the corner by the number May 13. Then she started counting. On a regular cycle, she should've started June 10th, but even if she threw in a couple stress days, she should've started by the 12th. Today was the 24th. She looked back over the past few months. No irregularities. She was almost two weeks late.

Even though it had been almost midnight, she threw on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt and headed out to the all night pharmacy. She picked up two pregnancy tests, thinking that she'd take one when she got home and one the next morning. As it turned out, she wouldn't need that second one, because the test showed 2 pink lines within the first 30 seconds of the 3 minute window.

It had been hard talking to Henry the next evening, but she didn't want to give him that news over the phone. She wanted to see his face. They had been trying for nearly a year. It was becoming stressful to the point that it affected their marriage, so they decided to take a break. If after six months, nothing had happened, they would seek a medical opinion. This was the second month of their break. So, she sat on the phone with Henry and let him talk about the people he met at the conference while she sat in the recliner biting her tongue to keep from speaking too much, with her hand resting on her abdomen.

Now, she waited on a picnic blanket under a tree at the park just down the street from their apartment. She could see the playground from her spot and imagined that it would only be a couple of years and she would be out there chasing her own child. She looked up and saw Henry walking toward her. Their child. She smiled.

Standing, she took a few steps to meet him and he pulled her close. "I missed you so much," she said, kissing him thoroughly.

When she pulled away, Henry grinned. "I missed you too babe."

"Come, sit with me," she said, beaming. She pulled him toward the blanket and then pulled him down with her.

"Babe!" Henry said laughing. "What's gotten into you?"

She held up her hands. "Okay, okay. I'm just happy to see you and I want to share something with you." Henry nodded and waited expectantly. Elizabeth reached out and grabbed a handful of shirt and pulled him to her. She kissed him hard. "I love you so much and I wanted to give you this." She lifted the lid on the wicker picnic basket and pulled out a gift box. "Here," she said thrusting it at him.

"Alright." Henry took the ribbon off the box and the lifted the lid. He stared into it, seeing the lines on the pregnancy test, then looked up at her. "Really? We're having a baby?" Elizabeth nodded furiously, tears forming.

"Yeah. We're having a baby." Elizabeth's smile was matched by Henry's and he scooped her into his lap. "When did you find out?"

"A couple days ago, but I wanted to tell you in person."

"I'm so happy." He kissed her. When he pulled away, he looked over at the basket. "What did you bring to celebrate this momentous occasion?"

Elizabeth giggled. "Cake and sparkling cider."

"Cake, huh?" Henry mused. She was going to reply, but he pushed her to the blanket and tugged her shirt up, baring her middle.

"Henry! You can't!" she squealed.

"No one's around and I'm introducing myself to our baby" Elizabeth glanced around, and Henry was correct, she didn't see anyone close by. He unbuttoned her jeans and ran the zipper down its track. Moving the waistband of her panties down, he kissed her lower abdomen. "Hi there baby. How are you doing? It's Daddy. I just thought I'd tell you that I love you." He rested his head there for a few minutes until Elizabeth became impatient.

"There's cake to eat you know. C'mon McCord. Mama's hungry!" Henry laughed and fixed her clothes. She poured the cider and pulled the cake out and Henry forked a giant bite and offered it to her. She opened her mouth widely and wrapped her mouth around the fork.

"We need to eat this cake and get home quickly," Henry said. Elizabeth furrowed her brow. "I need to get my wife home and to bed." He shot her a big grin and forked another bite of cake in her mouth.


	9. Making Amends

AN: I apologize for not giving you any resolution to "In a Fog." It wasn't necessarily written to have a follow up, but I've been tossing around a multi-chapter idea where that scenario would fit nicely. At some point, you may see a version of it, with the rest of the story.

This is the ultimatum make up snippet requested by lilacmermaid. I hope everyone enjoys it.

Making Amends

Elizabeth closed her eyes and exhaled, long and slow. She followed it with a deep breath and held it before letting it out. "Let's do this," she murmured and grabbed the small lunch cooler sitting on the seat before climbing out of the car. The wind was brisk and she walked quickly from the parking lot to the academic building where Henry's office was.

The walk upstairs was taken much more slowly. She chewed the inside of her cheek nervously. Elizabeth hoped this would be alright. In 16 years of marriage she'd never shown up at Henry's work unannounced. Truthfully, she didn't want Henry to have the opportunity to think about what she might have to say before she arrived.

Standing in front of his office door, she read the schedule, one she knew by heart. Then she knocked. "Come in," came his muffled response from the other side. She took one last deep breath before she turned the knob and stepped inside.

He was slouched in his chair, still looking down at the paper in his hand, glasses perched low on his nose, pen tapping his lip as he finished what he was reading. Henry glanced up and instantly sat up straight. His demeanor changed completely. She watched the blanket of tension cover him, the one that had been there for the last eight months.

Elizabeth's mind traveled back the eight months to when it happened. She had come home from work that day so thrilled about the promotion her boss had given her. She'd walked into the director's office expecting a stern rebuke and instead, he laid the station chief job at her feet. She shared the news with Henry that night before bed. She hadn't expected him to be thrilled, but his reaction was much stronger than she'd anticipated.

There were angry, hurtful words followed by silence and then he threw the ultimatum. "If you go, I don't know what it will look like when you get back." Had he meant divorce? Would they just be living together in the same house but not as a couple? Would he decide that their love wasn't worth it? Would he leave and take the kids with him? The questions swirled around her head as she stood at the kitchen sink watching him get in the car and drive away.

She wasn't sure how long she stood rooted to the spot. When she finally moved, it was to the phone. She picked it up and called the director at home, on a Saturday, to turn down the job. He'd pressed Elizabeth, thinking that appealing to her sense of duty would sway her. Much to his surprise, when he wouldn't relent, she quit.

Elizabeth quit to save her family and now it was destroying her family anyway. She had no idea how devastating it would be. She mourned the loss of her job at the CIA in the same way she'd mourned the loss of her parents years before. She was angry and then she was silent, both unable and unwilling to verbalize all of her emotions.

It was just in the last couple of weeks that Elizabeth had processed the situation to the point that she could make a plan, a plan that would get her to a better place, and give her something to make up for the loss of a career that was a large part of her identity. She hoped Henry would be on board, because if he wasn't, she wasn't sure what the next step would be.

"Hi," she said softly. "I brought lunch. I thought maybe we could talk." She held up the cooler awkwardly.

Henry nodded. "Um, yeah. I'd like that." He quickly cleared his desk of miscellaneous papers and made a spot for Elizabeth to set the bag down. The silence was uncomfortable and Elizabeth didn't know how to start, so she busied herself with the task of setting the food out.

She finally sat down and found him staring at her. "I'm glad you came," he said softly. "I've missed this. I've missed us."

"We'll see if you still feel the same way at the end of lunch." His eyes grew dark and she saw his jaw tighten. "I have a few things to say about what happened and how it went down, and what needs to happen now."

She picked up her sandwich and took a bite. Henry did too. He watched her. Henry knew how hard it was for Elizabeth to be emotionally vulnerable. He could tell she was gathering the courage to say what she needed to say. Tears pricked his eyes. He'd missed her so much over the past several months. He'd spent a lot of time trying to figure out if letting her go would have been better than telling her to stay.

He swallowed hard. It pained him that he had essentially told her to stay. In the beginning, he had tried to tell himself that it was her choice to quit. He didn't make her do that, but enough time had passed, he could see that he backed her into a corner where there would only be one acceptable choice, his.

When he had said that he didn't know what it would look like when she got back, he hadn't meant separation or divorce or taking the kids. Honestly, he wasn't really sure what he meant. And while Henry knew that he would never walk out on her, he used Elizabeth's own insecurities against her.

Her words snapped him back to the present and he met her gaze. "I have come to the conclusion that ultimately it was in the best interest of our family that I made the decision I did."

"I'm sorry I pushed you to do that," Henry said.

"No. Stop. Let me say what I need to say. Please?" Henry put his hand up in acknowledgement and mouthed the word sorry, then let her continue. "I just didn't know how much of who I was was tied up in my career. I didn't just lose a job Henry. I lost my best friends, my entire social circle, my purpose. For 15 years, I knew what I was doing and why I was doing it and suddenly it was gone. It was like a death, except it was worse because I chose it. I did it to myself." She felt the tears build behind her eyes and she willed them back. "Can you understand that?"

Henry stood and rounded the end of the the desk to kneel before her. He took her hands and held them in her lap. "I didn't know. If I had known, maybe I would've reacted differently. I just remembered how hard it was when you came back the first time and that was only for a couple months. You were talking at least a year. I was afraid of what it would do to you. To the kids. To us. I was so scared. I pushed you into a place where you felt like you had no other options. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that. Will you forgive me?"

"I do. Now. And you weren't wrong. Going would have changed things without a doubt. But, even I didn't realize how much quitting would effect me. It's taken me quite a while to get to the point where I can identify what's wrong and what will fix it. I want myself back. I want us back." She shook her head. "I don't just want it. I need it." Elizabeth was almost begging and the weight of it was crushing Henry.

"Anything. I'll do anything to get back to what we had. I just need you back. I want you to be happy." He fell face first in her lap, still clinging to her hands.

She pulled her hands away to push his head up so she could look at him. "I need to get out of here. I need us to leave." Henry gave her a confused look. "I can't stay in DC anymore. There's too much baggage associated with this place. It's too much of what I used to be that I can't be now. I want to build a new life Henry."

"You're sure?" he said. Elizabeth studied him and smiled slightly. He nodded as if it were settled. "I'll start packing tonight. Do you have a place in mind?" She bit her lower lip and nodded slowly before reaching down to pull a piece of paper from her purse. She handed it to him and he studied it briefly. "You want to buy a horse farm?"

"It's not just any horse farm Henry. It's where I grew up." She swallowed hard and looked at him wide eyed.

"Really? Your parents' farm is up for sale? How did you find out?" Henry's emotions were all over the place. He wanted to just say yes, but this seemed crazy.

"My lawyer emailed me the listing. I think he just did it so I would know, but I feel like it's meant to be."

"How are we going to pay for a horse farm? Elizabeth, I want to say yes, but we don't make that kind of money." Henry felt like he was playing the bad guy, crushing her dreams again.

"I want to cash in my trust," she murmured.

Henry's eyes went wide. "You want to do what? Is that a good idea? That's for the kids' college and our retirement. Are you sure?"

She looked at him earnestly. "I'm telling you that I can't live like I'm living now. I need a drastic change. I gave up everything I knew for us. And now, I'm asking that you think about doing the same. There are openings at UVA, for both of us. I mean we'd have to actually get the jobs, but there are jobs. We can start over. The kids can grow up like I did. Think about it. Please?"

"I don't need to think about it. The answer is yes. If that's what you want to do, we'll do it. I will go to the ends of the Earth to get you back to where you need to be." Henry slipped his hand around to the nape of her neck and pulled her so that their foreheads touched. "I love you and I want us to be us again. If this is what it takes, then we're buying a horse farm."

Elizabeth fell away from him dropped her head into her lap and wrapped her arms around her knees, sobs racking her lean frame. Henry was taken aback. "What's the matter?"

It took a few minutes before Elizabeth had calmed enough to speak. "I was so afraid you'd say no and I didn't know what I was going to do."

Henry offered her a tissue. "I screwed up once. I'm going to try never to do that again. I love you and I want you to be happy."

She leaned into Henry and kissed him deeply, smiling when she let him go. "Now that we've taken care of that, can we go ahead and eat? I've been so nervous that I haven't eaten all day. I'm starving." Henry grabbed the other chair that was in the corner and pulled it next to his wife and they began the discussion of telling the kids, and what would need to be done as they ate their lunch. For the first time, in over eight months, they were on the same page, and a sense of peace enveloped them both, and gave them the strength to embark on this new path.


	10. Aught 6

AN: I felt like no picnic series would be complete without this one. In the interest of full disclosure, I only watched the episode once, when it aired. I wrote this and then went back to watch the scene. Somewhere I missed that it was a Florida road trip. Oops! Florida as the destination didn't work with what I'd written, so this road trip isn't to Florida. Oh well!

Thank you so much for the reviews over the past couple of stories. They really lifted me up. There is one more picnic after this. My teaser is that it's something I don't usually write.

Aught 6

"You're sure you'll be okay?" Elizabeth asked her mother-in-law.

"We'll be fine. I've got both your numbers. I can call if anything goes wrong. Seriously, Elizabeth, you seem more anxious now than when the kids were little."

"I'm sorry Margie. I know that everything will be fine. We just haven't been away from the kids for more than a weekend ever. They've always had one of us." In her head, Elizabeth knew she was being silly, but it hadn't even been a year since they had moved to the farm and everything still seemed unsettled. Now, Henry insisted on taking her on a cross country road trip, to Yellowstone of all places. Henry grabbed her around the waist and hauled her off the porch of his parents' house causing the three kids to laugh hysterically.

"Say bye to your mom," Henry called out. 11 year old Stevie, 7 year old Allison and 5 year old Jason all waved and yelled goodbyes.

Even Elizabeth laughed when she heard Jason say, "Grandma, can we have cookies now that mom and dad are finally gone?" Margie McCord ushered the children into the house as Henry and Elizabeth pulled away from the curb.

Henry had grown up taking road trips. Each summer, his father, Patrick, would take a week off and the McCord family would venture out. They had traveled all over. Sure, there were family squabbles and mishaps, like when Shane had set the luggage out at a gas station to look for his handheld video game, which he forgot to return to the trunk and they had to backtrack three hours to retrieve their belongings. At the time, that hadn't been funny, but now it was one of their favorite stories to tell. They all had fond memories of those family vacations.

Elizabeth, on the other hand, had traveled frequently, only her family traveled by air. Michael Adams could rarely get a full week off, so they maximized their vacation time by flying to their destination. The farthest Elizabeth ever traveled by car was the trip from Charlottesville to Pittsburgh, which was roughly 5 hours, and she usually got antsy and made Henry stop so she could walk around and stretch her legs. This trip would be a test.

The couple had had a good time, making touristy stops in Chicago and Minneapolis. It was when they started making the trek from Minneapolis through the Badlands that things went south.

The hotel in Minneapolis had been abysmal. Henry and Elizabeth both slept poorly. They left early and the restaurant where they planned to eat breakfast had an hour wait. Not wanting to wait that long, they decided they would just pick up a gas station danish on the way out of town. It would only be about four hours until their next stop. They would make do.

"I'm starving," Elizabeth mumbled as she leaned against the side of the car, the hot Dakota sun beating down on her.

"I'm hungry too," Henry agreed, as he unloaded the last of their luggage from the trunk to dig out the spare tire. "I'll get this fixed quickly and we'll be back on the road in no time." Elizabeth let out a sigh, but offered to help Henry and half an hour later they were traveling once again. There was a wrong turn, a mistake that Elizabeth completely took credit for, which added another hour to their travel time.

Henry could tell that Elizabeth was getting tired of being trapped in the car. His offer to play "I Spy" was met with a glare that made Henry thankful that she couldn't shoot laser beams from her eyes.

It was a little after three when they pulled into their next destination, a local eatery that had been featured on their favorite cooking show. Unfortunately, the restaurant had closed at 2 and it was the only place to eat for two hours in any direction. That was the breaking point. Elizabeth sat down in the parking lot and cried.

Henry attempted to sit down next to her, but she shot him the laser eye look. "This is all your fault. I wanted to fly into Jackson, Wyoming and drive the hour. You said, 'Let's drive. It will be fun.' THIS IS NOT FUN! I'M NOT HAVING FUN!" she yelled.

Henry took a step back, sighed, and walked to the back of the car and popped the trunk. He dug around for a bit before closing the trunk and getting in the car. Elizabeth was still sitting in the middle of the parking lot sobbing. Henry started the car. Elizabeth looked up at him. Her eyes were puffy and red rimmed, her nose was red and she had tear stains covered the front of her shirt. Her look was indignant.

Henry took a deep breath before rolling down the window. "Your situation isn't going to improve by sitting there sulking. Let's keep going." She opened her mouth to argue, but Henry cut her off. "E-liz-a-beth." Henry's brows were knitted together and the way he spoke each syllable, it communicated so much more than the actual sounds he made. She rose and got in the car and slammed the door shut.

"I'd prefer you not speak to me like a petulant child," she said hatefully, giving him the side eye.

"I'd prefer you not act like a petulant child, so we've all got things we want." He tossed a bag of peanuts on her lap. "There," he said.

"Where did these come from?" she asked, as she bit into the plastic, tearing the package open.

"From my emergency stash," he said and put the car into drive. Elizabeth was about to yell at Henry for not breaking out his emergency stash sooner, but when she looked at him, she decided to keep quiet and eat her peanuts.

After driving for what seemed like forever, they finally made it to a town with a motel. Once they checked in, Henry said, "You go hang out. Take a shower or whatever and I'll bring dinner to you."

Elizabeth looked around at what she could see of the main street. "Ha! Good luck with that. This place looks like they close up shop at 5 pm."

Henry ignored the angry tone and handed her the key card. "I'll take care of it. Be back in a bit." Henry drove through the main business district and found that Elizabeth was correct. None of the businesses we're open. Henry was not a man to go back on his word and considered himself resourceful when he needed to be. He drove through one of the residential areas of town finally stopping in front of a house with several cars parked in front. He got out and smiled. "Barbeque," he murmured. "That's what I'm talking about."

Henry walked about the side of the house and saw a few guys gathered on the back porch around the grill. He took a deep breath, marched up and told his story. "So you can see that I'm in a serious amount of trouble with my wife. I need to feed her and feed her well if I'm going to live to see tomorrow.". They all nodded. "Any chance I could buy two dinners? I'll offer a bonus if you have some sort of dessert."

The man with the spatula nodded his understanding. "Been there, done that," he said. "Just a minute." A few minutes later, he returned with two grocery bags. "Here you go sir. Enjoy." Henry pulled his wallet out. "No, no. It's on me. Go enjoy a good meal and make the wife happy."

Henry thanked the man profusely and made his way back to the hotel. When he walked in, Henry heard the shower running. He took the decorative throw off the end of the bed and spread it out over the top of the bed and then he dug into the bags. He smiled. The man had done well. Henry set out two covered plates that each had grilled chicken, potato salad, and coleslaw. Then there were two small butter bowls that held baked beans and another set of covered paper plates, with two pieces of chocolate cake. Just then, he heard the water stop running. A devilish grin crossed his face. He broke off a piece of cake and walked into the bathroom.

Elizabeth jumped when the cold air whooshed in from the main room. She shot him a look. "Well?" she asked, her tone accusing. He grinned and shoved the piece of cake in her mouth.

"You need to hurry up. I'm hungry," he said walking back out into the room. He had barely sat down when she came out of the bathroom, her t-shirt and underwear clinging to her still wet body. She picked up the piece of chicken and took a bite before wrapping her hair in a towel and sitting down.

She moaned with each bite she took and they ate without speaking for almost ten minutes. "So where did you?" she started.

"When I say I'll take care of it, I'll take care of it." Henry arched his eyebrows at her. Elizabeth felt a flutter in her stomach, but it had nothing to do with the food she was eating. She nodded slowly and smiled. They finished eating and cleaned up together. "I'm going to take a shower now.

Henry emerged a few minutes later and found Elizabeth lying on the bed watching TV. She sat up. "I want to apologize for today."

"It's fine. We're fine." Henry paused. "Are you really having a terrible time?"

"No, not at all. I mean today sort of sucked, but I love being with you. I was just, I don't know: tired, hungry, short tempered. All of that just made me a raving bitch." Henry just stared at her. "You mean you aren't going to tell me it wasn't that bad?" Her tone had an edge, but her eyes were amused.

"Babe, I would never argue with you when you're right." Henry grinned and Elizabeth threw a pillow at him. "I will forever refer to this as the 'Infamous road trip of aught 6.'"

"Why can't you say 2006 like a normal person?" Elizabeth laughed and rolled her eyes.

"2006 is boring."

"You're a nerd," she said. Henry shrugged and then leapt onto the bed tackling her. She lay pinned underneath him, her breaths quickening. "You're a really hot nerd."

"That's better," he mumbled before he kissed her. They smiled at each other. The day had been rough, but at least the evening held a lot of promise.


	11. Martha's Vineyard

AN: I don't write much current H/E, but somehow I started out writing a cutesy little beach picnic and I thought they were going to talk about running for President-and then they didn't. *shrug*

Martha's vineyard

The large blanket was spread out on the beach. Elizabeth's eyes were closed, but she could hear Jason and Allison playing badminton on the lawn up behind her. The sun warmed her body and she felt more relaxed in that moment than she had in the last five years, before taking the Secretary of State job. Suddenly her sun was blocked. "Hey babe. Do you want me to grab us a plate of food?"

"Mmmm hmmm," she hummed.

Elizabeth was so relaxed that she was almost asleep by the time Henry returned. Carefully sitting down beside her, Henry gently shook her shoulder. "I got us lunch."

Elizabeth struggled to pull herself from her drowsy state. "M'kay," she yawned. "A girl could get used to service like this." She raised her eyebrows at her husband.

"I aim to please. Besides this is supposed to be a vacation. I've had some time off between jobs. You've been going warp speed since you started at the state department. Here." He handed her the plate.

"Are we supposed to be eating with everyone else?" Elizabeth asked, straining to see the back deck of the house.

"No one told me I had to stay. Besides Jase and Ali can represent the family. We've stayed in close proximity to everyone else for several days now. I could use a vacation from my vacation."

Elizabeth quickly ate most of her lunch, shifting her eyes to the back of the house and then back to Henry. "So everyone is up at the house eating?" she said.

"Uh-huh," Henry said, taking another bite, oblivious to the look that his wife was giving him.

"That means no one would be coming on the beach anytime soon?" Elizabeth's voice raised slightly, turning the statement into a question.

Henry shrugged. "I doubt it," he said, taking another bite of his burger. Elizabeth scooted up and changed the angle of the umbrella blocking the view of them from the house. Henry squinted against the sun that was now in his eyes and he pulled his sunglasses back down on his nose. "Why did you do that?" he asked.

 **RATED M**

"Because," she said, taking his plate away and sitting it off to the side, "I want to do this." Elizabeth leaned in and caught Henry's earlobe with her teeth and ran her hand up the leg of his shorts.

"Babe, you can't-" Henry stopped, the rest of his thought lost when she ran her tongue around the shell of his ear while her fingers brushed against his balls. "Hmmm," he hips twitched against her hand, asking for more. "What about reporters?"

"Conrad's DS team has the entire area blocked off. I think we're fine." She lay back on her side on the blanket, pulling Henry to lay next to her.

"There's always a chance. Pictures like that could ruin a presidential campaign." Henry's lips met hers and their tongues slid into each other.

She pulled back and raised her eyebrows. "You're Mr. Arm Candy. I bet I'd pick up twice as many votes as I'd lose." She kissed him. "Handsome, devoted husband takes wife on a deserted beach. Women across the country are swooning and wishing they were me."

Henry chuckled, "If you think so." He reached between them and unbuttoned his shorts while Elizabeth untied her cover up. "I knew there was a reason I didn't fuss about you choosing a long robe," he said as she flipped one side over his hip, shielding them from view. She moaned into their kiss as he massaged her breast. Within moments, Henry had the cup pulled down, teasing her nipple in a peak. She let out a squeal, but stifled it quickly.

Elizabeth reached between them and freed Henry's erection, pumping him vigorously. He grunted and pushed her hand away. Unceremoniously, she threw her leg over his hip, and adjusted the cover up to make sure it was still "covering up." She held her calf against his ass pulling him to her. He shifted his hips and pushed her swimsuit aside to bury his hardness inside her. They both gasped as they were finally joined. This position didn't offer much in the way of leverage, but it was extremely intimate. The two were pressed together slowly moving their hips against each other, each push bringing them both closer to completion. Sensing Henry was close, Elizabeth slipped a hand down and let it settle on her clit rubbing until she reached her climax. Just as she fell, she moved her hand to Henry's balls, gently squeezing them which made him go stiff against her. They lay there for a few minutes, catching their breath.

"Well now," he breathed out. "When was the last time we made love on the beach?" Henry pulled out of her and tucked himself back into his shorts and refastened them. Elizabeth fixed her swimsuit and retied her cover up.

"Maybe 25 years ago?" she offered as a question. "It's definitely been a while." She grabbed a cookie off the edge of her plate and ate it quickly before snuggling into his arms. Elizabeth was almost asleep when she heard Jason and Ali walking toward the water. "Let's be thankful they didn't come down here any earlier." she whispered.

"Yes, thankful indeed. Are you ready to play that game of badminton you promised me?"

"Give me minutes of being just like this. It is vacation after all."


End file.
